Traditional framed wood cabinets have supporting face frames which are typically made up of narrow depth rectangular strips of hardwood surrounding the cabinet box front opening. Cabinet carcasses or cabinet boxes were usually constructed separately from the face frame. The face frame provides stability and integrity to the overall cabinet, as well as the ability to adjust and maintain the squareness of the cabinet box. The face frame also provides a surface on which to mount hinges for doors. The frame is assembled as one complete unit by connecting multiple solid wood members together and then applying the frame to the cabinet box at final assembly. Materials other than solid wood may be used for the frame. An example of a face frame is shown in FIG. 1. As illustrated, the vertical stiles and horizontal rails that comprise the frame have a depth “d” that is less than the width “w”.
More recently, with the introduction of modern engineered wood, such as particle board and fiberboard, cabinet boxes can be made more square. However, the face frame members, namely, the vertical “stiles” and horizontal “rails” protrude into and overlap the entrance or front opening of the cabinet and interfered with access to the cabinet interior. Moreover, the narrowed openings created by the face frame further reduce the volume and accessibility of space available for shelves, drawers and internal accessory components, resulting in wasted interior space. A more extensive discussion of the distinctions in cabinet construction can be found in Wikipedia under “Kitchen Cabinet,” the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate two embodiments of a traditional framed base cabinet which is broadly comprised of a generally rectangular box panel assembly 10, a face frame made up of a top rail 12, bottom rail 14 and vertical stiles 16. Door 18 is hinged, as at 20, to an inner vertical edge of one of the stiles 16. The box panel assembly 10 is representative of any number of different box panel constructions and is broadly comprised of opposite side panels 22, bottom panel 24 and rear panel 26 in FIG. 2. As illustrated in FIG. 3, rear top and bottom nailers 28 are affixed to and positioned behind rear panel 26 and extend between upper and lower corners of the side panels 22 for facilitating connecting the box panel assembly to a wall. Alternatively, the nailers 28 may be replaced by a thicker rear panel. A top panel is not required because of the presence of the face frame.
With reference primarily to FIGS. 2, 3 and 3A, in the traditional framed cabinet as shown, the stiles 16 are of generally rectangular cross-sectional configuration with the longer dimension “w” extending perpendicular to the side panels 22 and parallel to the opening of the cabinet and the shorter dimension “d” extending parallel to the side panels 22 and perpendicular to the opening of the cabinet. As shown in FIG. 3A, in most framed cabinets the outer vertical edges 16′ of the stiles 16 extend beyond the outer surface of the side panels 22 by a dimension “x” of approximately 3/16 to ¼ inch. As shown in FIG. 3B, in some cabinets, the outer vertical edge 16′ is substantially flush with the outer surfaces of the side panels 22. The inner edges 16″ of the stiles 16 project inwardly across the front opening in the box panel assembly and beyond the inner surfaces of the side panels 22. Typically, the stiles will extend in both directions beyond the inner and outer surfaces of the side panels for a distance at least as great as the thickness of the side panels. Thus, with reference to FIG. 3A, the dimension “x” is greater than or equal to the width thickness “t” of the side panel. The upper and lower rails 12, 14 will be joined to the inner facing edges 16″ of the stiles at the upper and lower front corners. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the width of the front opening between the side panels 22 (w′) will be reduced by the stiles 16 to a width (w″) and will not only restrict the access into the interior of the box panel assembly but the offset between the stiles and side panels will limit the type of hinges 20 utilized. In particular, the attachment surface for a hinge is limited to the inner surface 16″ of the stile. Furthermore, the standard or traditional type of stile imposes a restriction on the mounting of shelving, drawers and internal accessory components such as trash bins and the like, within the interior space of the cabinet. For example, drawers and other extendable and retractable accessories cannot attach to the inner surface of the side panel because the overhang of the stiles blocks a drawer guide from extending out from the interior space of the box panel assembly. In other words, the width dimension of a drawer or accessory is limited by the opening in the frame (w″) rather than the width of the interior space of the cabinet (w′). As a result, functional space is lost.
In contrast, and in an attempt to overcome the limitations of face frame cabinets, frameless cabinets were developed in Europe following World War II. Frameless or full access cabinets utilize thicker, engineered wood, such as particle board, plywood or fiberboard to construct a cabinet box without a face frame. Top panels or stretchers are required and the side, top and bottom panels made of such thicker wood products provide the needed stability and reinforcement provided by the face frames in traditional cabinets. By eliminating the face frame, frameless cabinet boxes result in better utilization of interior space than the face frame cabinet boxes, among other advantages. Nevertheless, frameless cabinet boxes also have disadvantages, including requiring the use of thicker, heavier panels to achieve satisfactory stability and a top panel or stretcher to maintain squareness of the cabinet box due to the absence of a face frame. As used herein, the term cabinet box includes box panel assemblies with or without doors, including cabinets and bookcases. In addition, another disadvantage is the lack of a uniform aesthetic appearance to the front of the cabinet box, especially when adjacent cabinet boxes, bookcases or fillers are made from different materials. Plastic or wood corner blocks may also be needed for additional squareness and rigidity.
A further and more recent attempt to address cabinet construction has resulted in the introduction of a semi-frameless cabinet. Examples of semi-frameless cabinets are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,306,299 and 7,451,535, owned by MasterBrand Cabinets, Inc of Jasper, Ind. Semi-frameless cabinets are made using the frameless cabinet model, but relatively thin wood veneers or edge strips are added to the front edge of the side, top and base panels to provide for a more finished “frame-like” appearance to the front of the box panel assembly or cabinet box. FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate a semi-frameless construction. A veneer or aesthetic edge piece 80 is applied individually to each side panel 82, top panel 84 and bottom panel 86 for finishing purposes. There is no construction of a separate frame. The edge strips or pieces of veneer 80 are not joined together to form a frame prior to being attached to the panels 82, 84 and 86. The veneers 80 provide no structural support or integrity to the cabinet. Rather, the veneers 80 are purely aesthetic. While this method of cabinet construction is touted as more efficient, for example, because the panels may be made ahead of time, stored in inventory, and assembled into cabinet boxes as needed, there are a number of disadvantages to a semi-frameless cabinet of this type. For example, as with any frameless cabinet, a top panel or stretch 84 is required. A top panel 84 is required to complete the full perimeter edge of the cabinet box.
In addition, compared to a framed cabinet box, thicker panels are required in a frameless cabinet box. This necessarily adds weight and cost to the end cabinet box. In addition, the width of a cabinet box made in this manner is limited. The horizontal panels or stretchers will sag or bend under their own weight, or due to the weight of objects placed thereon, if the width spans a greater distance. Such sagging may also compromise drawer construction and operation. Further still, because each panel 82, 84 and 86 has a separate veneer 80 on the front edge, cabinet boxes made in this manner have a lower aesthetic quality. This latter disadvantage results from the way in which frameless cabinet boxes are made and assembled. Typically, a wood veneer is affixed to the front edge of the side, top and bottom panels to give the front of the frameless cabinet box an aesthetic wood appearance. The veneer is added to each of the cabinet box panels separately. Often the individual panels are made separately and stored in inventory for later assembly. Thus, it is not unusual for the front aesthetic veneers to vary in color not only within one cabinet box but also within adjacent cabinet boxes. Further still, there will always be seams between each discrete edge or piece of veneer 80 where one panel is positioned adjacent to another panel. In addition, there is no ability to have a single piece rail or horizontal edge of any relatively long distance, such as is the case with a row of adjacent cabinets or bookcases joined together, because each horizontal rail of each cabinet box is made with a separate piece of veneer. Nor is there any ability to add custom detailing, such as by routing, to any length of horizontal rail. In addition, there is no ability to add a custom extension, for example, when spanning a gap to abut a wall or when dealing with a non-plumb wall surface, or to eliminate a toe kick, without creating more seams.
In view of the foregoing, there continues to be a need for framed cabinets, but which do not reduce the opening size of the entrance in relation to the cabinet interior, particularly across the width between the stiles. There also continues to be a need for stiles to have a deeper or longer depth to provide an extended solid wood securement surface and to accommodate a greater variety of hinges. There also continues to be a need for cabinet boxes that blend the advantages of framed and frameless cabinets while eliminating the disadvantages of both. The embodiments of the present invention solve this long-felt need.